The Government of India is going to formulate National Forest Policy 2018 and the draft plan has been prepared.
The last forest policy was prepared in 1988. Forestry is a State subject. The States manage their own forest resources, but the Union formulates the overall guidelines. Such practices are going on in our country since 1950. When Jawaharlal Nehru was the Prime Minister, KM Munshi, his Agriculture Minister, had coined the idea of Vanamahotsav. Then the Agriculture and Forest were one department.
During the British rule in India, the forestry meant absolutely commercial forestry. The forests were commercially exploited and the ecological importance of the forests was not given due attention. For the first time in India, did KM Munshi advocate for tree plantations in the degraded forest areas, where ecological status of the forest land had gone down.
And when the forests were subsequently separated from the Agriculture department, both in the Centre and in the States, even then the commercialisation of forests and forest products got primacy over conservation measures. Then the financial position of the States and the Union as a whole was quite unsound. Consequently, the commercial exploitations of forests and forest produce were given importance to raise funds.
However, even today in different parts of India through State Forest Corporations, the commercial side of the forest resources is mainly explored, particularly for generation of employments. The forest corporations of different States, particularly of Odisha, are maintained as white elephant. Since forest is seen as a money spinning business, tree felling is going on massively, even on areas where the ecological positions of forest lands are unsound and in the process of degradation.
During 1972, the concept of forests and forestry were totally changed in the Stockholm Declaration by the United Nations conference from June 5 to 16, where the then PM Indira Gandhi took a leading role to protest over-exploitations of forests and called for actions for conservation and sustainable maintenance of forests and environment. The Stockholm declarations were path breaking.
If the States from where the rivers and water springs are originating claim absolute authority over them, needless to say, the results would be disastrous. Now, the entire water resources of Mahanadi river, which is a major river of the Eastern Ghat Range, are thoroughly monoplised by Chhattisgarh, where it has originated. The upstream States are claiming the lion’s share of water in rivers across India. They do it to meet the huge requirements of water for irrigation, drinking purposes and growing industrialisation. They are leasing out river water and leaving nothing for the States on the downstream. If such monopolisation of water is allowed in a democracy like India, not only will it bring lopsided growth but create huge ecological and environmental problems for the country as a whole.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi gives importance on eco-systems of India, where the man is a partner. How such partnership of man will exist and continue without water and how the national forest planning and policy can be worked out efficiently without proper management of water resources of India are a moot question. The forest policy makers should think over the matter and give their views to the Government. If water flows get less to the estuaries and coastal forests, how the tidal ecosystems of India can exist and continueIJ Similarly, the case of Chilika lagoon, which is the creation of Mahanadi, can not survive without sufficient flow of water. The Chilika is a living heritage not only of Odisha but also of the entire India and South – Eastern Asia. So the planners and policy makers should properly advise the Government of India that nature cannot be guided by the political whims of a few.
The Stockholm Declaration on Human Environment specifically proclaims that the man has special responsibilities to safeguard and wisely manage the heritage of wildlife and its habitat, which are now gravely imperiled by a combination of adverse factors. Nature conservation, including wildlife, must therefore receive importance in planning for economic development. India has signed an agreement in world conference at Stockholm, but it is not followed scrupulously in its own land.
Now, much importance is given on production forestry. The production forestry means, the conservation and development of ecological wealth and ecological properties. It does not imply production of timbers and firewood. The production means production of oxygen and assimilation of carbon dioxide from the air.
The kendu leaf collection from forest land is a highly destructive practice, which goes against the conservation practices of nature. The forest fire is also ignited for collection of fresh kendu leaves which are suitable for rollers of cigars. So the forestry never allows the productions of cigar rollers through destructive practices.
The Forest Policy 1988 should thoroughly be reviewed before a new set of forest policy is enforced in our democracy. Every nook and corner under forests must be examined, as regards what we have gained and what we have lost by application of the last policy. From 1988 till today, the degradation of natural forests is going on and huge money was spent for rehabilitation of degraded forests. The problems of the Forest Right Act 2006 for settlement of tribal and forest dwellers have not been solved so far. The new policy should take the cognisance of all these contentious issues. It is a fact that not even an inch of forest lands should be kept vacant without vegetations.
The World Conservation Strategy says (a) Essential ecological process and life support systems must be maintained, (b) Genetic diversity must be preserved and (c) Any use of species or ecosystems must be sustainable. These three points must be borne in the mind, while final shape is given to new forest policy.
Further, the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, 1992 reaffirms the Stockholm declarations. Similarly, the World Convention on Climate Change, 1992, acknowledges the change in the Earth’s climate and its adverse effects are common concern of human kinds. Besides, the concentration of green house gases and its effect on natural ecological systems must be looked upon.
Fire damages huge ecological wealth every year during the season from March to June, but no positive step is taken to prevent the fire. So the new national forest policy should take cognizance of all these facts.
(The writer is a former senior forest official and environmentalist, M: 9937460649, Email: nadiya.kanungo@gmail.com)